What happens now that my
treatments for hepatobiliary cancer
have finished?
Hepatobiliary Services
Information for patients
Liver
Gall bladder
i
Stomach
Pancreas
About this booklet
This booklet is aimed at helping to support you to face your future
now that your cancer treatments have finished. While this can be a
time of great relief for you, it may also be a confusing time, both
physically and emotionally, as you come to terms with issues that
may have been on hold due to your disease.
From a medical point of view
Your surgeon will still want you to have regular scans, outpatient
appointments and blood tests to ensure that you remain disease-free
and do not run into any problems from the surgery that you have
had.
Your surgeon will usually want you to have a scan every six months
for the first two years and then yearly after that until five years have
passed since your surgery.
However, if you have had a ’Whipples’ operation, you will be seen
and scanned yearly for ten years to ensure that there are no
complications with the surgery.
However, if at any point, you need to be seen sooner, this can be
arranged.
From an emotional point of view
From your diagnosis of cancer onwards, your emotions will have
been tested and this does not necessarily stop when your treatment
ends. Feelings of anger, fear, isolation and guilt are common. Your
life will have been reshaped by your cancer diagnosis and it is
sometimes hard to adjust.
Talking to others will help you to find out how you are feeling and
you may find that talking to someone close to you, a trained
professional or within a support group setting will be of benefit in
working through your feelings.
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From a physical point of view
Your body has been through surgery and probably chemotherapy
too, both of which can alter your body and your body image.
You may well have lost weight during your disease and may find
that you do not return to the weight you were before. Symptoms of
fatigue, nerve damage (peripheral neuropathy) and memory
problems may persist, as well as changes in your eating and bowel
patterns.
If any of these are causing you problems then seek help and advice
from your hospital consultant, GP or Hepatobiliary Specialist Nurse.
From a practical point of view
Establishing a normal routine in your home life after continual
hospital appointments can be difficult. Deciding if and when to go
back to work can be a hard decision to make and talking this
through with your hospital doctor or GP may help you to decide the
best way forward.
Contact details:
If you have nay questions or symptoms that you are worried about,
then get in touch with your hospital doctor, GP or specialist nurse.
Hepatobiliary Specialist Nurses (key workers):
Cris Pollard:
07908 450785
Sophie Noble:
07908 464558
Jo Bishop
07506 709014
Office hours:
Monday to Friday
8:00 am - 4:00 pm
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Hepatobiliary Services Patient information group After treatment Edition 3: July 2016
For review July 2018 CAN214-0716
If you would like this information in another language or
format, please contact the service equality manager on
0116 250 2959